Comments

The theme of the nearby blog post about failed marriages is that people will never confess responsibility for having chosen the partner they now call loathsome. That's the theme of this post, too.

People drop of out Catholicism and other religions all the time. Once they're out, they're often in good shape. They don't need to reconfigure their personalities or anything, they can just get on with the business of being a human being.

But dropouts from Scientology would be more funner if they could acknowledge having the specific personal weaknesses that made Scientology attractive to them to begin with: Contentiousness, credulousness, humorlessness and pride. Until they do that, they're not going to be any fun to spend time with, whether they're in the church or not.

A famous principle in the life of the con man is that your victim has to want to be taken... He has to want to believe in the get-rich-quick scheme or whatever game you're going to trick him with. Hubbard understood this perfectly, and was nakedly opportunist in the selection and herding of his flock.

This guy's bitching about some people who took him for a ride. But unlike the Catholic molestation victims who we're reading so much about this week, the Scientologists present themselves to their abusers with adult awareness. It's hard to sympathize.

He talked like those Quixtar/Amway heads. Different levels, etc. It sounds as if they follow a MLM structure. Sadly, the same type of people will keep purpetuating that spiritual garbage until they can't stand themselves anymore and defect, just like someone getting suckered into Quixtar.

kbling
at April 18, 2008 8:00 AM

There's a lot more to scientology than most people realize.

"operation snow white" = largest infiltration of the US govt. in history. The founders wife went to prison over this.

"Fair game" = The legal and extralegal harrassment of scientology critics. The worst example of this was a journalist named "Paulette Cooper"

Scientology is trying crush Free Speech.
Free Speech is a Human Right.
Scientology never addresses criticism.
They only seek to destroy their critics.

Scientology CANNOT defend their actions, so they endeavor to SILENCE THEIR CRITICS.

Ben
at April 18, 2008 10:19 AM

there is a very funny expose of life inside scientology by former member steve fishman called lonesome squirrel. it's available all over the internet, but probably NOT in your local library (Scientologists scour libraries for critical books and articles and use razor blades to edit offending magazines, steal the books or destroy them in place. Ask your local librarian about this.)

longcat war
at April 18, 2008 10:22 AM

Crid said "the Scientologists present themselves to their abusers with adult awareness. It's hard to sympathize"

Well yeah Crid, for the adult scientologists you could make that argument I suppose, but what about the kids who may be born/raised within the cult? Check out http://www.exscientologykids.com and learn what their growin' up was like, and how they ESCAPED from scientology.

Rather than judging Jason negatively for the time he spent in the cult, I'm going to be thankful for his courageous efforts in exposing the cult's abusive practices. Thank you Jason.

terryeo {tm}
at April 18, 2008 10:29 AM

The world is full of children who have shitty parents. It's not an excuse.

I did some work for the Scientologists at the Hemet compound a few years ago and the guy I worked for was at least second-generation; IIRC, his grandparents had actually been into it, too. But that didn't mean he was a well-balanced spirit who came from a bad circumstance or anything; he was dishonest. If he was a better man, he'd have gotten out of it, that's all. As you put it, lots of children "ESCAPE", just like the children of any misshapen personalities will do.

I tried to watch the clip when Treach posted it a few days ago, and then again when Amy linked it, but couldn't get more than about :30 seconds in either time. There was no contrition. There was just this gruff-voiced, clumsy fellow whining "Where's the clear, man?" He was like a guy who'd ripped off a Domino's delivery driver, only to open the box and see that they'd forgotten his fuckin' pepperoni.

Crid
at April 18, 2008 10:55 AM

Are you serious about these questions? For starters it's posted in Zoology! Second there are like 50 questions there! Lastly this sounds like one of those really stupid phone call questionnaires that I hate with a passion! Also one last thing... If this is to write a paper for school..... I refuse to do your homework for you!